martin



(N0 Modei.) 2 SheetsSheet l.

J. M. MARTIN.

RIDING SADDLE.

No. 526,183. I Patented Sept. 18, 1894.

lN VENT 0R (No Model.) 2 Sheets-SheetZ.

- J. M. MARTIN.

RIDING SADDLE.

No. 526,133. Patented Sept. 18, 1894.

- NITE'D" STATES PATENT F ICE.

' JOHN M. MARTIN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

RIDING-SADDLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 526,133, datedSeptember 18, 1894.

Application filed May 2, 1893. :Serial No. 472,749- (No model.)

To all whmn it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN'M. MARTIN, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement in Riding-Saddles, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to riding saddles, in general, but moreparticularly to womens saddles, and has for its principal objects toenable the rider while in the saddle to quickly and conveniently adjustthe height of the stirrup, and also to stiffen the saddle and strengthenand increase its bearing on the horse, especially on the side on whichthe woman is riding.

My invention by which I attain these ends comprises novel means forupholding the saddle flap to give convenient access to thestirrup-adjusting strap thereunder, a novel stirrup-adjusting devicereadily operated from the saddle, means for securing the flap in placewhen in lowered position, and a brace of novel character applied to thesaddle, all as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In order that my invention may be clearly ascertained, I shall firstdescribe in detail the mode in which I carry the invention into effectand then point out its novel features in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification, in which- Figure 1 represents in side viewa womanssaddle embodying my invention, from the stirrup or on side. Fig. 2 isaview of the same from the opposite or off side, the saddle flap beingraised to show the stirrup-adjusting device. Fig. 3 is a cross sectionalView of the same on the line 3 3, Figs. 2 and 5. Fig.4.is an enlargedplan view of the same with the flaps and seat removed. Fig. 5 is anenlarged perspective View illustrating in de tail the stirrup strapadjusting-device and the flap retaining device. Fig. 6 is a detailsectional view illustrating the flap-retaining device.

Like letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures.

A designates the tree of a saddle of ordi nary form having the horns Aand theside limbs A A B, the bridge; 0, the pommel;

,D,'the seat; E, the under-pads, and F F, the flaps.

In applying my stirrup-adjusting device, I secure a suitably bowed flattube G, as a guide for the stirrup strap H, at its ends to therespective side limbs A A of the tree in the line of the stirrup strap,and I may form the bridge B integrally with said tube, as shown in Figs.4 and 5.

To the tree limb A as by means of an ordinary stirrup-bar A Ipermanently secure one end of the stirrup strap H, the other end ofwhich I then pass outward through an opening I in the saddle flap F, andfrom the inside through the stirrup H, and thence carry it back looselythrough the flap opening I and the transverse tube-guide Gr,out on theopposite or oft side of the saddle, and through a chute or open guide J,secured to the treelimb A in line with the tube-guide G. Across the topof the chute-guide J is pivoted a roller or pulley K, beneath and aroundwhich the end of the strapHis passed, and'in the chuteguide below theroller Kis fixed a hook-catch L, to be engaged by one of a row ofeyelets in the loose end of the strap. The guide J, pulley K and catch Lform a strong and convenient buckle securely fixed to that side of thesaddle tree. With this arrangement, the woman rider can with one handreach the loose end of the strap, being on the off side, and by pullingthe same upward over the pulleyK detach it from the hook-catchL andraise or lower the stirrup H on the opposite side to any height desired,after which she can again secure the strap by the hookcatch L. Tofacilitate this adjustment, I provide for retaining the off flap F,covering the a'dj usting device, in position, when raised to expose theadjusting device, by means of a flat flexible rim M, one end of which isfitted to slide lengthwise in a guide M secured to the under side of theflap F, and the other end of which is pivoted to swing in the verticalplane between ears N of a base-piece N, which is fixed to the treelimb Aand may be formed integrally with the chute-guideJ as shown. The saidend of the rib M is formed with a nose M having two bearings M and Mshown in Fig. 6, which are alternately engaged by a spring M on thebase-piece N, so that the rib M, and

hence the flap Fon which it plays, will, when raised as shown in Fig. 2,be spring-held in such position, and when again lowered, be likewiseretained in that position. The rider is thus enabled to manipulate boththe flap and the stirrup-adjusting device with one hand, leaving theother hand free to control the horse.

To positively secure the lowered flap in place over the adjustingdevice, I provide it with an eyeleted tongue 0 to engage a hookcatch Pon the girth P, as shown in Fig. 2.

From the on limb A to the corresponding horn A of the tree, I extend astrong flat diagonal brace Q, rigidly secured at its ends to said hornand limb, to stifien the tree for the extra work put upon it and serveas an increased bearing on the side on which the woman rides. The braceQ particularly strengthens the correspoudinghorn A against the rearwardstrain imposed upon it in drawing the strap H through the guide G in theadjustment before described.

I claim- 1. In a side saddle, the combination with the saddle treehaving the opposite side limbs A and A and the transverse strap-guide Grconnecting the limbs A and A of a stirrup strap running loosely throughthe strap-guide G,a stirrup on said strap depending from the tree limb Aand a buckle rigidly attached to the tree limb A to which buckle thecorresponding end of the stirrup strap is adj ustably fastened, so thatsaid stirrup strap can be readily unfastened, adjusted and fastened onthe off side of the saddle,substantially as and for the purposehereinbefore set forth.

2. The combination, with the saddle tree, comprising the side limbs Aand A and their respective horns A A, the strap guide G connecting thelimbs A and A", and the stirrup bar A connecting the limb A and its hornA, of a stirrup strap run loosely through the strap guide G, a bucklerigidly attached 'to the limb A to which buckle one end of the stirrupstrap is fastened adjustably, the opposite end of said strap dependingin a loop from the limb A and secured to the stirrup bar A, and astirrup H slung loosely on said loop, substantially as and for thepurpose hereinbefore set forth.

3. The combination, with the saddle tree provided with the transversestrap guide G, of a stirrup strap runningloosely through the strap guideG, a stirrup on said strap on one side of the saddle,a strap-guideJfixed to the tree on the opposite side of the saddle, a strap pulley Kspanning the guide J and a strapcatch L fixed with respect to saidpulley, substantially as shown and described.

JOHN M. MARTIN.

Witnesses:

CLARENCE L. BURGER, RosooE C. TooMBs.

